Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/552,232, filed 24 Oct. 2006, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,830, issued 5 Dec. 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/379,723, filed 10 May 2002, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/419,159, filed 17 Oct. 2002.

The present invention relates to a woven article and method, and, in particular, to a plural layer woven textile and/or article having an electronic circuit woven therein, and a method therefor.

In many fields of endeavor, from military to sport to apparel, a desire exists for electronic circuits to be incorporated into fabric and into articles that may be made of fabric. In some instances, such as electric blankets and electrically conductive fabric, electrically resistive and/or electrically conductive are been woven into fabric with insulating yarn to provide the desired resistance heating and/or conductivity characteristics. In these relatively simple arrangements, the characteristics of the resistive heating yarn determines the heating characteristics of the woven electric blanket and the conductivity of the electrically conductive yarn substantially determines the conductivity characteristic of the fabric. In other words, the number and size of electrically conductive yarn determine the conductivity of the fabric.

Apart from the aforementioned relatively simple arrangements, where electrical functionality of greater complexity has been desired, electrical circuits have been added to fabric after the fabric is woven. Among the approaches are the lamination of electrical circuit substrates to a fabric, e.g., as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2002/0076948 of B. Farrell et al entitled “Method of Manufacturing a Fabric Article to Include Electronic Circuitry and an Electrically Active Textile Article,” and the embroidering and/or appliqué of electrical conductors and circuits onto a fabric, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,771 to E. R. Post et al entitled “Electrically Active Textiles and Articles Made Therefrom” and in an article by E. R. Post et al entitled “E-Broidery: Design and Fabrication of Textile-Based Computing” published in the IBM Systems Journal, Volume 39, Numbers 3 & 4, pages 840-860, 2000. In addition, an arrangement attaching electrical components to woven fabric including conductive yarn, such as by connecting the components to the conductive yarn by soldering and/or by electrically conductive adhesive, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,482 to Jayaraman et al entitled “Fabric or Garment With Integrated Flexible Information Infrastructure.”

In the aforementioned arrangements, the electrical electronic function is added after the fabric has been woven, e.g., by embroidery or by appliqué or by mechanical attachment, thereby adding additional steps and additional complexity to the manufacturing process. In addition, the particular arrangement thereof appears to be suited to one specific application or usage with corresponding specific manufacturing, and does not appear to lend itself to an efficient, relatively general manufacturing wherein the function and operation of the resulting fabric need not be specified or determined until after the fabric is woven, i.e. manufactured.

Accordingly, there is a need for a woven textile and article having an electronic circuit function woven therein.

To this end, the multilayer woven article of the present invention comprises warp yarn and weft yarn interwoven in a multilayer weave having plural layers defining at least one cavity therebetween, at least one electrically conductive yarn disposed in the warp and/or in the weft and having a portion thereof in one of the plural layers defining the at least one cavity, and a circuit carrier disposed in the cavity and having at least one exposed electrical contact in electrical connection with the at least one electrically conductive yarn, the circuit carrier including at least one electronic device for performing a function.

According to another aspect of the invention, a multilayer woven article comprises a plurality of electrically insulating yarn and electrically conductive yarn defining plural layers in the warp, a plurality of electrically insulating yarn and electrically conductive yarn in the weft interwoven in a multilayer weave with the plurality of electrically insulating yarn and electrically conductive yarn in plural layers in the warp, wherein an electrically conductive yarn in the warp crossing an electrically conductive yarn in the weft makes electrical connection therewith at the crossing thereof, and at least one electrically conductive yarn in the warp and/or in the weft woven into at least first and second ones of the plural layers for crossing at least one electrically conductive yarn in the other of the warp and/or weft without making electrical contact therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be more easily and better understood when read in conjunction with the FIGURES of the Drawing which include:

FIG. 1A is a plan view schematic diagram of an example woven fabric including an example embodiment of an electronic circuit therein;

FIG. 1B is an isometric schematic view of a portion of an example multilayer woven fabric including an example embodiment of an electronic circuit therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematic diagram of a yarn including an example electronic circuit function, as for the woven fabric of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 3A through 3D are plan view schematic diagrams of example embodiments of yarns including an example electronic circuit function suitable for a woven fabric as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are plan view schematic diagrams of an example embodiment of a circuit carrier including an example electronic circuit function suitable for a woven fabric as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and FIG. 4D is an isometric view thereof when folded;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an example circuit carrier disposed in a cavity of a multilayer woven fabric;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating example loom arrangements suitable for making example embodiments of fabric described herein;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an example carrier insertion arrangement and an example roller arrangement suitable for weaving and finishing fabric woven in accordance with FIGS. 6A-6B;

Continue reading about Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method...
Full patent description for Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims

Click on the above for other options relating to this Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method patent application.
###


How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents
1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored.
3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords.  
Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method or other areas of interest.
###


Previous Patent Application:
Compostable olefin polymer compositions, composites and landfill biodegradation
Next Patent Application:
Papermaker's press felt with long machine direction floats in base fabric
Industry Class:
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)

###

Design/code © 2009 FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com. Website Terms and Conditions - Also read: About this Page
Patent data source: patents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Information published here is for research/educational purposes only (and in conjunction with our Keyword Monitor) and is not meant to be used in place of the full USPTO patent document/images or a comprehensive patent archive search. Complete official applications are on file at the USPTO and often contain additional data/images (Freshpatents is currently text-only). FreshPatents.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO or firms/individuals or products/designs/ideas related to listed patents.

FreshPatents.com Support
Thank you for viewing the Plural layer woven electronic textile, article and method patent info.
IP-related news and info


Results in 2.10235 seconds


Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories:
Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , paws